Artillery



NOV. 14, G. c WSON ART ILLERY Filed May 16, 1932 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR eyor (f in w'fon ATTORNEY 1933- G. c. DAVISON 1,934,700

ARTILLERY Filed May 16, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOB 1 33 Greywyfiflawmn Nov. 14, 1933. G. c. DAVISON 1,934,700

ARTILLERY Filed May 16, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet L5 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 14, I933 ARTILLERY i Gregory CrDavison, Huntington, W. va. Application May is, 1932. Serial No; 611,531

' 19 Claims. (01. 89-40) This invention relates to improvements in artillery, and its object is to providea simple and inexpensive mounting which will enable the building of guns of maximum force with minimum weight and cost.

More specifically, its object is to provide an arrangement for resisting the recoil of a gun at a point in alinement with its axis.

,A further object is to provide'a balance for the gun so that'it may be trained or elevated with little effort and to so mount it that it may beused for either field work oranti-aircraft work.

' These and other objects will appear from the following specification in which I will describethe invention, the specific features of which I will point out in appended claims. Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 isa side elevation of a field gun mounted in'accordance with former practice, which illustrates some of the objectionable features which Ihave overcome;

Fig. 2 is a similar elevation of a gun and its mounting which embodies one of the features of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 2;"

7 Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified structure also embodies the same feature of the invention; I

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of another embodiment of the inventiom'a portable gun and balancing mounting therefor, dismounted and packed for transportation upon wheels; i

Like' characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the various figures of the drawlIlgS.

Referring to Fig; 1, 10 designates thegunbarrel whic h has a lug 11 attached to a piston rod12, which in turn is attached to a pistoninside a recoil cylinder 13. The recoil cylinder is attached to the axle of the carriage. At the forward end: of the recoil cylinder is a'collar 14 through which the barrel l0 slides when the gun is fired. The whole system is supported'at three points, the wheels 15 and end of the trail 16, the end of which is provided with a spade 17 which is driven into the ground to take up the. force of the recoil.

small as possible.

:ry designatestheaxis of thebarrel 10. 'F represents the force of therecoil acting in the line 'm-y. This causes a moment about the point'A at the spade. The armabout which the force F acts is representedby the line a drawn from the center of resistance A, of the spade I'Tperpendicular to the line :c-y. Therefore, Fa expresses the moment caused by the recoil of the gun. -This' results in a tendency of the gun and mounting to:

jump or to turn a back somersault, which is prevented by a counter .mornent Wb in whichfthe weight of the gun is represented by a vertical line drawn'downwardly from'thejcenter of gravity and the line b is the distance from this line to the pointA. 1

When these two moments just balance each other,

Fa=,Wb. 01", .F =W:

In practice the moment Wb is made greater than moment Fa. p

Now-the force F. is a. measureof the power-of the gun. It agreater powder charge beused,

with consequently a greater muzzle velocityof the projectile, the force-F will be increased. The arm somewhat a is determined by the original design of the gun and.carri age,.and also by the angle of elevationat which the gun is fired. The arm "o, is fixed bythe design of the gun and carriage, and will vary with the position of the gun during recoiL; Looking upon b anda as fixed quantities, it is therefore .seen that the power of the gun,"or, the force F that:

can be used, is limited bythe weight W4 The momentum ofprojectile and powder gases leaving the muzzle isequal to the moinelntumim parted to the gunand moving parts, in the case of free recoil. But in order to reduce the amount of momentum imparted to the gun, the recoil is v retarded by the recoil cylinder 13 generally by forcing a liquid through a set of grooves or other orifices in thewallsof therecoil .cylinder.- Infield guns, thepractice is to make the lengthof recoil as great as practical, and to make the checkingforce of the recoil cylinder constant, .ancl as If it is desired, to increase the powerof thegun by the use of a stronger steel, the weight of the gun proper may be reduced, butno saving in weight for the gunand carriage as a whole can be made, because the. total weight W. bears, .a

fixed relation to the force F, whichinturn hasa relation fixed by the design to the power ormuzzle energy of the projectile.

Therefore, regardless of any improvement in designof suchgunythe'total'weight cannot be approximately 3200 pounds. Its power cannot be increased without also increasing the total weight.

. This rule holds true for practically all mobile i is .recoil pad 20 by a universal joint 21.

field artillery mounted as shown in Fig. 1.

In Figs. 2 and 3, the trail 16A upon which the recoil cylinder 13 is mounted is connected to a The recoil pad rests in the earth in an excavation made to receive it and to position it and the universal joint in the line m--y. Training and elevating mechanisms are indicated at 22 and 23 respectively.

By this arrangement the moment which tends to cause the gun to jump is entirely eliminated. The'force of recoil passes through the center of the pad 20 sothere is no arm a, such as that shown in, Fig. 1. Consequently, the weight of the gun and its mount is not needed to counteract any turning moment.

Therefora the weight of the gun may be made small and the force of recoil large As an example of what can be accornplished by this invention, the following figures are given: The regular army 75 m/m field piece has a gun -whichweighs1010 pounds. The weight of gun and carriage totals, as I have said, over 3200 pounds. By using modern alloy steela gun'can be built with the samepower weighing only 2 pounds. The mount to. go with such gun, with other -mechanism will weigh only 300 pounds. So the total weight of gun and .mount built in f accordance with my invention will be only 960pounds, as compared with the regular m/m army gun weighing over 3200 pounds. This saving'in weight is very important, both in connection with the cost, and also in connection with transportation in the field.

This principle of mounting guns may be used with many variations of structure. In Fig. 4 I

have shown'an arrangement in which the gun,

its breach mechanism 24 and recoil cylinder 13A are slidably mounted upon a track 25, the forward end of which is supported upon a'pedestal 26 with intermediate train and elevation mechanism 22,

23. The recoilplunger 27 is in this case connected directly with the universal joint 21. The operation of this arrangement is similar to that described in connection with Figs. 2 and 3.

The apparatus illustrated in Figs. 5 to. 8cmbodies the aforesaid principle of resisting the recoil at a point approximately in line with the axis of the gun, but is also provided with equilibraitor or balancing mechanism, whereby it may be pointed with minimum effortat any angle of elevation or train, thus providing a gun which may be used for field work and which may be instantly elevated for anti-aircraft. use.

This apparatus comprises'a recoil pad 30 piv- 'oted to which are horizontal arms 31 by means of which the apparatus may be given a firm connection with the ground. '32 is -'a base plate-ro tatable upon theupper central-part of the recoil pad. 33 is a vertical pin extending'from the base plate through the recoil pad into a bearing. 34'is a horizontal shaft supported on the base plate to which the trail or track 1613 is connected by an arm 35. The gunbarrel 1O slides through the collar 14 and has a lug ll, piston rod 12 and, recoil cylinder 13 similar to 'the arrangement shown in Fig. 2. a

36 is' a post or column which rises vertically from the base plate. Itslower end is bifurcated to support the shaft 34.. Near its upper end a beam 37 is pivoted. One end of this beam is connected by a link 38 with the trail 16B and at its other end is'a receptacle '39. This'is to be filled with rocks, gravel or any other available material to balance the weight of the gun and its associated parts. The dimensions of the parts of this equilibrator are such as to pro. duce a true parallelmotion so that the beam 3'7 is always parallel with the axis :r-y of the gun 10. Train and elevation mechanisms are shown at22 and 23. The" parts are also so proportioned and designed that the center of gravity of the apparatus as a whole passes in any of its positions through the pin 33.

This apparatus enables the use of the same.

gun for field work, as shown in Fig. 7, or for anti-aircraft work, as shown in Fig. 8. It may be folded up compactly and small units up to guns of two-inch bore may be carried on men's shoulders or on motorcycles. 'Larger guns may have wheels 5 attached to trunnions on a suitable. part of the mechanism to form a light carriage, as shown in Fig. 5.

By thus providing a pivotal ground support back of the un barrel in substantial alinement with its axis, arranged to resist the force of recoil at a point in the same line and providing an equilibrator which balances the gun and brings the center of gravity of the system directlyabove the center of its ground support, a

gun with its mount can be built with a minimum.

iio

scribed to show thatthis invention is not limited to any specific construction and I intend. no

limitations other than those imposed byfthe appended claims.

What. I claim is:.

1. A gun barrel, a recoil me'chanism 'and a recoil pad therefor in alinement with the, axis of thebarrel. 2. A gun barrel, therefor at therear of, insubstantial alinement With' the axis of the barrel and symmetrically disposed in relation to said axis, a recoil mechanism interconnecting'the barrel'andsaid pivotal support, and another, support for the barrel having train and elevation mechanisms, said other support being longitudinally spaced fr'oinsaid a pivotal support.

3. A gun barrel, a universal joint support therefor at the rear of, in substantial alinement a universal joint support 7 with the axis of the barrel and symmetrically disposed in relationto said axis, a recoil mechanism interposed between the barrel and said universal joint support and in alinenlentltherewith, and another support for the barrel having.

train and elevation mechanisms, said other support being longitudinally spaced from'said pivotal support.

. 4. A gun barrel, a recoil a recoil pad, and. a universal joint connection'between said mechanism and pad in alinement mechanism therefor,

with the axis of the barrel and symmetrically disposed in relation to said axis. 1

5. A gun barrel, a recoil mechanism therefor, a recoil pad, and a universal jointconnection between said mechanism and pad, said'pad, pivoted' connection and mechanism being alinement with theaxis of the barrel and said uni- L'Il versal joint connection beingsymmetrically disposed in relation to said axis.

6. A gun barrel, a recoil mechanism parallel with but laterally spaced from the axis of the barrel, means for resisting the force of the recoil at a point in substantial alinement with the axis of the barrel, and a universal joint connection between said mechanism and said recoil resisting means symmetrically disposed in relation to said axis.

7. A gun barrel, a trail parallel with but offset from the axis of said barrel, a recoil cylinder mounted on said trail, a slidable connection between the gun barrel and the recoil cylinder, a recoil pad, and a universal joint between the trail and the pad in substantial alinement with the axis of the gun barrel.

8. A gun barrel, a universal joint support therefor at the rear of, in substantial alinement with the axis of the barrel, and a recoil mechanism interconnecting the barrel with said universal joint support and symmetrically disposed in relation to said axis.

9. A gun barrel, a pivotal support therefor at the rear of and in substantial alinement with the axis of the barrel, a vertically movable support for the barrel spaced longitudinally from said pivotal support, and a counterpoise acting upon the vertically movable support to impart thereto an upward force.

10. A gun barrel, a pivotal support for said barrel at the rear thereof, a vertically movable support for the barrel spaced .longiiudinally from said pivotal support, a beam pivoted intermediate its ends at a point over said pivotal barrel support, a weight onsaid beam at one side of its pivot, and a connection from the other end of the beam to said vertically movable support,

the axis of the barrel, a vertically movable supi; terconnecting the barrel and said pivotal support.

13.A gun barrel, a vertical rotatable post, a frame for the gun barrel pivoted near the lower end of said post, a beam pivoted intermediate its ends near the upper end'of the post, a link between one end of the beamand a point on said frame spaced from its connection with the post, and a counterpoise near the other end of the beam.

14. A gun barrel, a vertical rotatable post, a

frame for the gun barrel pivoted near the lower end of said post, a beam pivoted intermediate its ends near the upper end of the post, a link between one end of the beam and a point on said frame spaced from its connection with the post, and a receptacle near the other end of the beam adapted to hold weighting material.

15. A gun barrel, a vertical rotatable post, a frame for the gun barrel pivoted nearthe lower end of said post, a beam vertically over said frame pivoted intermediate its ends near the upper end of the post, a link between one end of the beam and a point on said frame spaced from its connection with the post a distance substantially equal to that of the corresponding end of the beam from its connection with the post,

and a counterpoise near the other end of the,

beam.

16. A vertical rotatable post, a frame pivoted near the lower end of the post, a-beam vertically over the frame pivoted intermediate its ends near the upper .end of the post, a substantially vertical link interconnecting an end of the beam with said frame, a counterpoise near the other end of the beam, and a gun barrel slidably supported in the frame.

17. A vertical rotatable post, a frame pivoted near the lower end of the post, a beam vertically over the frame pivoted intermediate its ends near the upper end of the post, a substantially vertical link interconnecting an end of the beam with said frame, a counterpoise near the other end of the beam, a recoilmechanism on the frame, and a gun barrel slidably supported on the frame and connected with the recoil mechanism.

' 18. A vertical rotatable post, a frame pivoted near the lower end of the post, a beam vertically over the frame pivoted intermediate its ends near the upper end'of thepost, a substantially vertical link interconnecting an end of the beam with said frame, a receptacle near the other end of the beam, and a gun barrel slidably supported in the frame. a v

19. A vertical rotatable post, a frame pivoted near the lower end of the post, a beam vertically over the frame pivoted intermediate its ends near the upper end of the post, a substantially vertical, 7 link interconnecting an end of the beam with said. frame, a receptacle near the other end of the beam adapted to hold weighting material, a recoil mechanism on the frame, and a gun barrel slidably supported on the frame and connected with the recoil mechanism.

GREGORY C. DAVISON. 

